Flinging wide
Posted: 02 Nov 2006 @ 00:00
IT SEEMED right to call it Open Doors, says the Revd Laurence Beard,
describing a week of events to entice more people into Holy Trinity, Hartshill,
near Nuneaton, in Coventry diocese.
They had a tour of the local brewery, a Race & Curry night (a curry
meal, I gather, with video horse-racing, but “no money changed hands”), a craft
afternoon with chocolate sale, a beauty and relaxation morning, a children’s
party, an over-50s lunch, five-a-side football, barn dance (still very popular
in those parts), and a family-fun night.
At each event, says Mr Beard, there was a short talk about the gospel by
Colin Stephenson from the Scripture Union. More than 160 people came to the
barn dance, and between 30 and 70 to most of the other events. The week
culminated in a Mothering Sunday service, with “quite a lot of new people”.
They have also identified houses at which a visit would be welcomed, says Mr
Beard. “It was all so exciting — and tiring.”